Marshfield grad says college proved wrong the myth that boys are better at math

Jun. 11, 2014

Written by

Breanna Speth

Photos contributed

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MARSHFIELD — Engineering may still be perceived as a man’s profession, but successful women engineers like Abby Bernhagen are helping to transform this misconception.

As the only female engineer in the Marshfield MSA Professional Services office, Abby is proud to be a self-declared “minority in the field.”

Since the 1930s, MSA Professional Services has helped communities function and thrive, through engineer-supported municipal and private projects. The multidisciplinary consulting firm focuses on improving communities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa, and consists of engineers, architects, planners, funding experts, surveyors, GIS specialists and environmental scientists.

Whether it’s site planning or construction administration, designing stormwater detention ponds or conducting floodplain studies, the engineers at MSA are using science, math and dedication to improve technology and infrastructure throughout the Midwest, and progressively more of these engineers are women.

One of just three girls in her AP physics class at Marshfield High School, it wasn’t until college that Abby really understood and appreciated that women could be just as good at math as men.

“I think in grade school, junior high, high school, it’s a common misperception that boys are better at math than girls,” she says. “In all honesty, college really proved that myth wrong for me. At (the University of Wisconsin) Madison I was one of many girls in physics as well as all of the other engineering classes I took.”

She adds that in some of those classes, girls far outnumbered the guys. “It felt good to see that,” she says.

Though national trends reveal there are still fewer women in engineering that men, the numbers continue to grow, especially in civil engineering where the focus can be more environmental. For Abby, it’s important to remember that women can overcome gender stereotypes.

Inspired to pursue her current career by Marshfield High School sciences teacher, John Bauer, Abby attended UW-Madison and majored in civil engineering, with an environmental focus. “I am really passionate about the environment and sustainability,” says Abby. “I realized I can actually make a difference.”

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After graduation in May 2012, the Hewitt native accepted a job as a municipal engineer with MSA, whose mission reflects her passion for restoration, conservation and preservation of environmental welfare.

“We basically are involved with every step of doing a civil engineering project for municipalities,” says Abby, who works specifically with water and wastewater projects. “We design it. We are there to inspect. We help them obtain funding for the project, the whole thing.”

An average day varies with the season. When in the office, Abby can be found working on DNR permits, facility plans, operations manuals, Capital Improvement Plans and other reports. “Basically just putting together plans and completing permits and reports,” she says. Out in the field, Abby oversees construction sites, helping track materials and quantities as well as inspect construction progress. It is the variety of work, and especially the out of office work, that Abby finds most enjoyable.

Whether trudging around in muddy fields, helping with surveying an area for design elevations, or spending the day in a tiny boat collecting sludge samples, Abby enjoys being outside more than sitting at a desk preparing reports and drafting permits.

“I look forward to summer when I can get out in the field,” she says. “It is a lot of odds and ends, which I like about my job. It never gets boring.”

Despite the mud, math, and management involved in her average workday, the most challenging aspect of her work actually is a result of her gender.

“Being a young female engineer, I have to show that I’m knowledgeable about what I’m doing in order to earn the contractors’ respect,” she says. “Once I demonstrate that I have the knowledge or am willing to learn how something is done in the field, the contractor is much more willing to cooperate and even advise me on ways in which things can be designed more efficiently or conveniently and done better or more easily in the field.”

The glass ceiling metaphor might still exist in the engineering field, but women like Abby are adding at least a few cracks to it.

Abby's future professional goals include taking the Professional Engineer exam and pursuing a Masters Degree in Business. When she isn't working, Abby enjoys hunting, fishing, traveling and making recipes and creations found on Pinterest. ■